China conducts drone-assisted artificial snow-enhancement experiment in Xinjiang's Kunlun Mountains

This photo taken on Oct. 20, 2024 shows a view of the Kunlun Mountains as pictured in Akto County, Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture of Kizilsu in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.(Xinhua/Ding Lei)

URUMQI, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China used drones for the first time on Friday to carry out an artificial snow-enhancement experiment in the Kunlun Mountains in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to China Science Daily.

The operation area is located at an altitude of 3,500 meters, where the low oxygen content poses a challenge to the dissemination of catalysts, said Yan Jianchang, director of the Xinjiang weather modification center.

To overcome the difficulty, the drone was equipped with ultra-long-duration water-increasing smoke flares, and successfully conducted the full combustion ignition experiment of the smoke flares at an altitude of 4,200 meters, thus releasing the catalysts, Yan said.

The drone was also equipped with high-precision sensors and devices that enabled accurate positioning, real-time monitoring and precise measurement of the operation area. All of these functions were put to the test in the experiment.

The center has carried out 23 cloud-and-precipitation observation and rain-and-snow enhancement experiments using large and medium-sized drones since the beginning of 2024. The total flight duration amounted to 46 hours, with each operation lasting over an hour and a half. The valuable experience gained from these preliminary experiments laid a solid foundation for the successful first experiment in the Kunlun Mountains.

The Kunlun Mountains serve as a vital water source in western China. Scientific and effective artificial rain (snow) enhancement operations can replenish surface and groundwater resources, thereby providing more guarantees for agricultural irrigation, industrial water use and residential water supply.

Moreover, such operations have positive ecological impacts, including improving desert ecosystems, increasing vegetation cover and suppressing dust weather.